UK Government Proposes Free Public Access to Land Registry
The UK government plans to remove the Land Registry paywall to increase transparency on land ownership for housing and infrastructure development.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced proposals on Tuesday to remove the paywall from the Land Registry, providing free access to land ownership information in England and Wales for the public and public sector bodies. The government intends to create a free public dataset identifying owners of significant land-holdings, though ordinary homeowners will be excluded from this specific list.
Officials argue that increasing transparency will improve strategic planning and facilitate the construction of new housing and infrastructure while protecting nature. The Ministry noted that at least 10% of land ownership in England is currently unknown. A public consultation period for the proposal will run for eight weeks.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England welcomed the move, stating that making ownership easier to identify will help optimize the country's finite land supply. Conversely, the Country Land and Business Association warned that making personal information public could leave families vulnerable to fraud and identity theft, particularly as AI improves the ability to misuse identities. Reports also indicate internal friction between the government and HM Land Registry regarding the extent of the proposed public scrutiny.
